Category Archives: Brownwood

TSTC honors longtime employees with drive-thru celebration

(ABILENE, Texas) – Texas State Technical College honored 30 employees with service award drive-thru celebrations this month.

With COVID-19 restrictions limiting large gatherings, the celebrations were planned to honor employees with five to 35 years of experience. Celebrations were held at the Abilene, Sweetwater and Breckenridge campuses.

Lance Eastman, interim provost for the West Texas campuses, said the employees honored are appreciated by everyone at TSTC.

“Every position is important and about serving our students and industry,” he said. “These individuals have made sure that our buildings are clean and safe, food is provided, that equipment is in place and that instruction is relevant.”

Eastman was proud to be part of a creative way to honor employees.

“With the health restrictions, which we take seriously, we had to be creative of how we could distribute our service awards,” he said. “We are grateful for these individuals that have dedicated year after year of service.”

Each employee received a plaque, a yard sign noting their years of service, and a gift.

Sweetwater’s Maria Aguirre, the senior executive director of Communication and Creative Services, was honored for 35 years with the college. Joni Coons, the intramural programs coordinator in Sweetwater, was honored for 30 years of employment. Abilene’s Holle England, a learning and development trainer, received a plaque honoring her 35 years with TSTC.

Abilene employees honored for five years of service were Greg Nicholas, welding instructor; Amanda Suiters, library coordinator; Rikki Spivey, enrollment coach; Matt Briggs, Emergency Medical Services instructor; Susan Leda Cowart, English instructor; Randa R. Weeks, Health Information Technology instructor; Magaly Valdez, Drafting and Design instructor; and Miranda Thomas, technical physics instructor.

Mary Wilhite, a student services specialist, was honored for 10 years at the Abilene campus. Also honored in Abilene were Michael Soto, a Business Management Technology instructor, and Susan Hash, a testing administrator, both for 15 years with TSTC, as well as Pam Marler, a contract administration coordinator, and Julia Humphrey, career services director, for 20 years.

Sweetwater five-year employees honored were Frank Molini and Taylor Elston, welding instructors; Carla Becker, travel and expense specialist; Beth Hall, developmental math instructor; Brock Carter, chief of police; and Ray Carnathan, police officer.

Gloria Santiago, food service operator, and Jeff Olney, Electromechanical Technology instructor, received 10-year awards for their employment in Sweetwater. Fifteen-year awards were presented to Sweetwater’s Gail Lawrence, TSTC’s executive vice chancellor and chief of staff to the chancellor; Mark Hampton, resource development specialist; and Sandra Ortega, enrollment coach.

Brownwood’s Becky Jones, a licensed drug counseling instructor, received a 10-year plaque. Breckenridge’s Debra Bufkin, a developmental math instructor, and Vernon Akins, a building maintenance supervisor, received five-year awards.

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Couple strengthens bond in TSTC’s Welding Technology program

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Taylor and Jason Bigbie are spending a lot of time together.

The Bigbies are enrolled in Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology program in Brownwood. For Jason Bigbie, he wants to use his education to open a business, while Taylor Bigbie wants to help him when she is not working as a paramedic.

“I wanted to do this as a hobby to help him,” said Taylor Bigbie, who graduated from TSTC’s emergency medical technician and paramedic programs in 2017 and 2019, respectively, and is pursuing a certificate in welding. “I wanted to be able to help him on my days off.”

Justin Bigbie, who is pursuing an associate degree, hopes to start a business that constructs metal buildings in the Brownwood area.

“My wife inspired me to take advantage of my military benefits and go to school,” the U.S. Army veteran said. “I would be able to learn something that I can do to provide for my family.”

He said his wife is taking the same courses that he is so that she can help him when he is on a job.

“I know that I can trust her if I can’t find someone to help me on the job,” he said. “I know that it is going to be a hobby for her.”

The couple said there will not be a competition during class. They will help each other when they are in need of it.

Neither of them had any previous experience with welding. But completing assignments is teaching them the proper way to work.

Over the next few weeks, Justin Bigbie will be helping a friend construct a metal building at the couple’s church. He said that will be a good way to put what he learns to use.

Taylor Bigbie said the hands-on approach at TSTC is the best way for her to learn the trade.

“It is teaching me what I am doing right and what I am doing wrong,” she said.

She added that the welding program is “much easier” for her than completing the paramedic program.

“That was really intense because not only did we have the class and lab work, we had clinicals to complete,” she said of the paramedic program.

While taking classes and working has taken its toll on the Bigbie family, neither said they regret the decision to take the course together.

“I think more spouses should do things like this together,” Taylor Bigbie said. “It does put some strain on us, but knowing we are doing it together makes us feel good.”

Justin Bigbie said his wife’s involvement in his future business will provide security for the family.

“I know she is giving back to our community as a paramedic. Now she wants to give back to our family by helping and supporting me,” he said.

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

Sen. Buckingham visits TSTC Emergency Medical Services lab

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – State Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, was able to see Texas State Technical College students in training during a visit to the Brownwood campus this week.

Buckingham, who represents District 24 in the Texas Senate, competed with students in a CPR race designed to help students’ rhythm. At one point she led the four students, but she eventually admitted that it would be better to let the students do the work.

“It was fun racing the paramedic students, but I will leave the lifesaving skills to them,” said Buckingham, who is an oculoplastic and reconstructive surgeon.

TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor Richard Sharp led the tour and was happy that Buckingham got involved.

“For her to recognize the quality of the program we have says a lot about TSTC,” he said. “It was an honor to have the senator visit our campus.”

Gail Lawrence, TSTC’s executive vice chancellor and chief of staff to the chancellor, said that Buckingham’s visit shows the importance of the college to Texas.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Sen. Buckingham to our Brownwood campus,” Lawrence said. “We’re grateful for her support and are thrilled that she understands the value of a technical education. After all, it’s our mission to provide the state with a high-quality workforce.”

Buckingham’s staff was also informed of TSTC’s involvement with the 3M Manufacturing and Academic Partnerships (MAP) program, which allows students to study for a career in manufacturing. The MAP partnership between TSTC, 3M and Brownwood Independent School District was unveiled in February. 

TSTC received a grant from the 3M Foundation to purchase MecLab Trainers that will be used in the program. Through the program, Brownwood High School students will have the chance to learn the basics of creating and using schematic designs, circuit diagrams and technical drawings; building models; creating simulations; and developing and constructing electronic and pneumatic circuits.

Buckingham, who was making her first visit to the Brownwood campus, was impressed with what she saw.

“This is a great and beautiful campus,” she said. “We love TSTC. It is so important for the kids to have this opportunity in our community. TSTC is a huge benefit to Brownwood.” 

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC Drafting and Design students learn more than building design

(ABILENE, Texas) – Students will be able to design more than buildings when they complete Texas State Technical College’s Drafting and Design program.

Instructor Justin Price said students will have the skills to work in different industries, including the oil and gas industry.

“Our graduates will be well rounded to go into the architectural field or any other field that involves design,” Price said.

One of those areas is the oil and natural gas industry in West Texas. Price said graduates could be employed by companies such as Chevron, Conoco or Kinder Morgan because of TSTC’s advanced pipe and basic pipe curriculum.

“Our graduates will not be specific to just drawing buildings. They will be able to hit the ground running in designing something once they start a job,” Price said.

Drafters will work to put their ideas into a drawing that will detail the size, shape, materials and other specifications needed in a project. Texas employs the second-most drafters in the nation, and Price said there is always a demand in the field.

The TSTC program is offered completely online, and Price said that has helped draw students looking to expand their resume.

“We have seen a steady incline in students in West Texas,” he said. “During this time of COVID-19, the oil and gas industry has been shutting down some of its rigs, so some people are moving to bigger companies.”

Because of the wide range of oil and gas equipment in West Texas, companies need to document where the equipment is located. That is where a drafter comes into the picture.

“Companies have to document so many pieces of equipment a year, and that takes drafters,” Price said. “They are out there documenting what is in the field. We will train our graduates to use various methods to complete that type of project.”

The West Texas program is available through the Abilene, Brownwood and Sweetwater campuses. Price said instructors have been working to move the program completely online for some time, and it was a smooth transition this fall.

“We were geared up to tackle any problems we might encounter so we could be ready to rock this fall,” he said. “Students can complete our program anywhere in the state.”

Students have the option to learn during live online sessions or prerecorded sessions. Price said instructors also use online video services to interact with students.

“We want to keep the students engaged during the program,” he said. 

For more information about TSTC, visit tstc.edu.

TSTC instructors prepare for new EMT, paramedic students

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College is preparing for the next group of emergency medical technician and paramedic students.

TSTC Emergency Medical Services instructor Richard Sharp said students who recently completed the program had a 100 percent passing rate on the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians certification exam, and each graduate found employment. This spring, a new group of students will begin their training.

“An entry-level EMT can expect to make $30,000 to $35,000 in their first year,” Sharp said. “An entry-level paramedic can expect to make in excess of $45,000 to $50,000 a year.”

The program is offered both online and with in-person lab sessions. Sharp said students will have opportunities for live discussions and lectures online each week.

“We have implemented all CDC guidelines when students are on campus to protect the student, their family and any patients they may encounter,” Sharp said of lab sessions.

The EMT certificate is a two-semester program. The first semester covers the core EMT courses that allow students to sit for National Registry certification. The second semester has two online courses, including medical terminology, anatomy and physiology.

A student must be certified as an EMT in Texas and be selected for the paramedic program, Sharp said.

“Once selected, the student will complete an additional three semesters of core classes and general education if attempting to earn an associate degree” he said. “At the completion of the didactic portion, the student will undergo one semester of capstone. The capstone semester places the student with a seasoned paramedic in an internship where the student will function as a paramedic. After successfully completing the internship, the student will be eligible to test for the National Registry paramedic certification.”

Sharp said the program is patient-centered, with a focus on providing competent EMTs and paramedics to the EMS industry in Texas.

Sharp is a 20-year veteran of 911 ambulance response as a paramedic. Timothy Scalley, a current paramedic/flight paramedic, is also an instructor in the program.

Sharp said students interested in the program may contact him at 325-203-2458 to learn about the enrollment process.

For more information, visit https://www.tstc.edu/programs/EmergencyMedicalServices.

Aguirre brings experience to TSTC’s Welding Technology program

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Daniel Aguirre, a lifelong resident of Brownwood, is ready to pass his knowledge of welding on to the next generation.

Aguirre will begin his first year as Texas State Technical College’s Welding Technology instructor in Brownwood this fall. This will be his first time teaching welding, and he said he is excited to be part of the TSTC family.

“I have not taught before, so this will be a new experience. The faculty and staff in Brownwood have been so willing to help me,” Aguirre said. “I will learn so much from them because they have been teaching a long time. They have given me so many pointers since I have been here.”

Aguirre has set one goal for himself as an educator.

“I need to balance out my welding experience with what I am going to have to teach from the textbook. There is so much you can learn by doing,” he said. “I will have to incorporate that into my teaching style.”

In Brownwood, Aguirre said students will have a good facility to work in when lab sessions begin.

“We have good equipment in the shop. The students will be able to learn a lot in the lab,” he said.

One thing Aguirre wants students to know is that safety comes first.

“Safety is the top priority. I want them to learn how to be safe in the shop and to work safely on a job,” he said.

According to Aguirre, students will learn what companies expect from welders.

“I want the students to be in the mindset of knowing what it is like to work in the real world,” he said. “If they know what is expected of them, they will be able to succeed.”

That is where Aguirre’s experience will come into play during the year. As a teenager, Aguirre helped his father repair rail cars and later worked for a railroad company repairing cars.

“We would weld the rail cars that were damaged. We would work on them and get them going again,” he said.

After his career in the railroad, Aguirre worked for an oil field company in which he welded equipment. He did that until the welding instruction position opened at TSTC.

“At first, I did not know if I was a good fit, but (former instructor Robert Whitley) talked me into applying,” he said. “We have been buddies for years, and I was eager to try teaching out. There is nothing more gratifying than teaching young welders the tricks of our trade.”

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to https://tstc.edu/admissions.

Safety top priority at TSTC this fall

(ABILENE, Texas) – Safety will be the top priority at Texas State Technical College when the fall semester begins Aug. 31.

The four West Texas campuses, located in Abilene, Breckenridge, Brownwood and Sweetwater, will have a different look this year. Students who need to complete labs will be allowed on campus, but all other instruction will be delivered online.

“Our primary goal is the safety of our students, faculty and staff in this era of COVID-19,” said Lance Eastman, West Texas’ interim provost. “We have put in several safety measures to ensure that safety.”

Everyone must wear a facial covering while on campus, and social distancing guidelines will be enforced, Eastman said.

“I know it is hard sometimes to maintain social distance. But for the safety of everyone, we are going to practice it,” he said. “We not only want the students, faculty and staff to protect themselves, but everyone around them.”

Buildings will be marked with directional signage to show entrances and exits. Hand-sanitizing stations will also be available in each building.

Since March, TSTC has provided online lectures for students, and Eastman said it will continue in the fall. In May, students were allowed to return to campus to complete lab sessions.

Eastman said continuing to provide hands-on lab sessions is important to the college’s mission of placing people in the workforce.

“We will still do a lot of the hands-on lab sessions because it is important the students get that training,” he said.

Daniel Martin, TSTC’s director of student recruiting in West Texas, said students are excited about the new way of learning.

“The students are pleased with how the courses are being constructed. The online lectures, coupled with lab time, are perfect for them,” he said. “This is a better use of a student’s time. It is not a classroom-heavy situation for them.”

Martin said prospective students will also be able to tour campuses, but with limitations. Tours must be reserved and will be limited to three guests per tour.

“We are excited to get people back on our campuses to show students what we offer,” he said. “We had some tours during the summer, and everyone followed all of the protocols we had in place.”

In Sweetwater, safety is also the top priority for housing director Jose Navarrette. Since it is the only West Texas campus with student housing, additional safety measures are in place.

Navarrette said each student will have a private bedroom but share a bathroom. He said students will learn the proper way to sanitize the area to help prevent the spread of contagions.

“We will have room checks to make sure all the rules are being followed,” he said. “We had some students living on campus this summer, and everyone followed all the rules.”

Navarrette said students were assigned days to move in prior to Aug. 31. He said that was done to help limit the amount of people on campus.

“Safety is the key for us. We want students to know that we have things in place for their safety and the safety of everyone on campus,” he said.

Rick Nelson, supervisor of TSTC food services in Sweetwater, said meals will continue to be sold only to go. Students will enter the Student Center’s main entrance and leave through the cafeteria’s glass-door exit.

TSTC will also provide three new programs in West Texas this fall.

In Breckenridge, an Associate of Applied Science degree in Occupational Safety Compliance Technology will be offered. Students will learn the hazards of machines, safe work methods, first aid, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures during the five semesters.

Two Occupational Skills Award programs are scheduled this fall. Basic Welding – Multiple Processes will be available in Abilene, while Basic Automotive will be taught in Sweetwater. Both courses will be 15 weeks and are part of TSTC’s Rapid Industry Skills and Employability (RISE) program that helps students learn skills quickly in order to start a career.

“It is always good to provide new programs at TSTC,” Eastman said. “We want to provide our students with the tools to prepare them for the workforce. The OSA programs will allow us to quickly educate students to get them to work. That will help better our economy.”

To schedule a campus tour, contact Chris Johnson, TSTC’s lead recruiter for West Texas, at christopher.johnson@tstc.edu.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

TSTC Computer Networking students to use virtual software program

(ABILENE, Texas) – A new program will allow Computer Networking and Systems Administration students at Texas State Technical College to work on equipment virtually.

TSTC will use the NetLab program for virtual lab sessions, instructor Adrian Medrano said.

“NetLab is very popular for remote training,” Medrano said. “The benefits are amazing.”

Students will use the program to work on a computer system online just like the real instruments. Medrano said students will operate instruments with knobs and buttons the same way they would an actual computer. Measurements will be displayed on the computer screen to help students during the lab session, he added.

“Having NetLab is huge. Companies like Cisco and Microsoft use this for training their employees,” Medrano said. “With the push to move everything online, we are looking forward to getting this content to our students.”

Medrano is no stranger to the program. He said TSTC instructors have used it for their own training sessions held throughout the state.

“I enjoy working with this program. It is easy to navigate,” he said. “I see nothing but smooth sailing for our students when they use NetLab.”

The program will allow Medrano and other instructors to achieve their goal of providing companies with a “well-rounded individual for an IT (information technology) department.”

“We are not going to focus on one certain area. By the time a student graduates, they will learn how to take apart and put back together a computer system,” Medrano said. “They will know how to put a computer on a company network, share files, and other aspects of computer networking.”

That knowledge is important in today’s business world, according to Medrano.

“Sharing information between computers in a business is the main aspect of the network,” he said.

Another area in which students will gain knowledge is security settings.

“We are going to teach students how to make a computer virus-free and to make sure no one hacks into the system,” Medrano said. “We are going to teach all of the security tactics they will need, as well as the difference between a virus, worm and Trojan software.”

Medrano said students will become knowledgeable about routers and switches.

“They will know the difference between a home router and routers used at small businesses,” he said. “Students are going to know exactly how the internet happens when they complete the program. They are going to know how they can send something from their home to around the world with just one click.”

Medrano said the online classes will benefit students.

“This will give students a lot of flexibility, and they can remain safe,” he said. “We are going to deliver our content via video, but it will still have a classroom feel.”

Medrano said instructors were recorded during classes last spring, and those videos will be used for classroom lessons during the upcoming school year.

“Students will be able to watch the video at their convenience and then practice what they learned with NetLab,” he said.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Eastman works to help TSTC students achieve success

(ABILENE, Texas) – Lance Eastman, Texas State Technical College’s West Texas interim provost and senior vice president of Student Learning, works to make sure that students meet the college’s goal.

“I really like our mantra, ‘Place Texans in great-paying jobs.’ It’s simple. We have really worked hard to live up to our mantra,” he said.

Eastman, who was named interim provost in May, is working with the college’s leadership, faculty and staff on a competency-based learning schedule for students. He is no stranger to the learning approach because it was used at his previous place of employment, Davis Technical College in Kaysville, Utah.

“At TSTC, we are working to have flexibility and to allow students to schedule classes around their life. Studies have shown that it works,” Eastman said. “With this type of program, retention is much better.”

Prior to arriving at TSTC more than two years ago, Eastman served as director of the manufacturing and transportation programs at Davis Technical College. He also taught an industrial maintenance class.

His love for electronics came while watching “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.”

“Seeing Luke Skywalker’s hand got me into electronics,” he said of the movie scene in which Skywalker’s missing hand is replaced with a robotic one.

Eastman once worked in the private sector in industrial maintenance. But when a teaching position opened, he turned to educating young minds.

“Teaching is nothing more than transferring knowledge,” he said. “I am the kind of person who would want to put a button on something to try and make it work. I want to pass that knowledge on to others.”

He learned about TSTC through a job posting showing an opening for the vice president position. He had confidence that he would be picked, telling his wife, Beckie, that he was going to apply for the job and his family “will move to Texas.”

Eastman said during the entire interview process, he remained confident that he would be selected for the position.

“I kept telling my wife they are going to hire me,” he said.

Since his hiring, Eastman said he has been welcomed by not only the TSTC family, but also the Abilene community. His oldest daughter, Sydney, recently completed a church mission in Idaho, and his youngest daughter, Brooklyn, is a senior at Wylie High School in Abilene.

“I love the people of Texas,” Eastman said, admitting that his only stop in Texas prior to an in-person interview at TSTC was a flight layover in Dallas. “This is a fantastic place to live.”

In his spare time, which he said he does not have much of, Eastman enjoys fishing, gardening and church activities.

“My wife and I have also spent a lot of hanging with the kids and their friends. They like to play cards with us because they think they can beat us,” he said with a laugh.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.

Two TSTC programs to be offered fully online this fall

(BROWNWOOD, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Computer Programming Technology and Drafting and Design instructors are gearing up for a different way to offer classes.

The two programs will be offered completely online this fall, and TSTC instructor Julie Rhoades welcomes the opportunity. 

She is no stranger to teaching Computer Programming online. It was previously available online before being shifted to a hybrid status a few years ago.

“Everything is on schedule to offer the programs online,” she said. “The Computer Programming course will be project based. We will have video lessons and virtual classes for discussions.”

While it is not required that students attend each live video lesson, Rhoades said classes will be recorded for students to watch at a later time. In addition, she will schedule weekly assignments for students to complete.

Students will also have the opportunity to submit topic suggestions that may be discussed during video lessons.

Instructors will use the latest video technology to connect to students for questions and feedback, Rhoades said.

“We want to be able to see and hear each other. I will be able to share my screen with the students, and they will be able to share their screens with me,” she said.

Rhoades said she still wants to provide a personal touch.

“I want our students to realize we are here to personally help them,” she said.

The virtual experience may also be used during study groups.

“This is a different type of communication method. We want the students to feel comfortable talking to each other. This will make it more personable,” Rhoades said.

This fall, Rhoades will teach two Drafting and Design classes and one Computer Programming class. According to her, the Drafting and Design class is being developed without a textbook requirement.

While having the program fully online is not new, Rhoades said she has recently seen more interest from prospective students.

“One student told me they would not consider it if it was not online. They had some safety concerns, but once they learned it was fully online, they were on board,” she said. “We want to accommodate people who may not feel safe.”

The Computer Programming Technology online program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree. Drafting and Design offers three Associate of Applied Science degrees. They are Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology, Architectural/Civil Drafting Technology, and Mechanical-Electrical Drafting Technology.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, go to tstc.edu.